Devoted Cov couple who refused to be separated celebrate 71 years of marriage
A Coventry couple who refused to be separated have just celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. Doris and Peter Johnson, 100 and 101 respectively, met at a fencing club, as Coventry was recovering from World War Two. They got married in 1951, and had three daughters, going on to retire in Wyken.
Both fishing and gardening enthusiasts, the couple’s family said they enjoyed a very happy retirement. But last year when Peter became unwell and had to go into a home, Doris refused to let him go alone. They moved into Youell Court Care Home in Binley so they could be together, where they have remained since.
:Coventry truck driver who has been giving blood for 29 years makes 100th donation “It was paramount that they were together, in theory Doris didn’t need to go” the couple’s son in law David Cummins told CoventryLive. “Doris is not bed-bound but she’s immobile, but it was Peter that went into a home but the only way that would happen was if Doris went with him as well.
So they’ve gone there to be together really” he said. David’s wife Anne, who is Peter and Doris’ daughter, added: “They went into Youell Court in a bit of a rush, my dad became a bit poorly, he has vascular dementia. Dad kept falling over, they were both rushed into the home because my sister and I had been looking after them, it had become too difficult.
Coventry couple Doris and Peter Johnson, 100 and 101, celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in March.
Pictured with their three daughters left to right Anne, middle Karen and Lynne (Image: Family handout)
“My dad would really like to go back to his own house, but that’s not really possible.” “Peter always talks about going home again” David said. Peter and Doris had to leave their bungalow in Wyken, where they spent a very happy 30 years, tending to their beloved garden and looking after their grandchildren and great grandchildren. “Dad used to grow all his vegetables, spent a lot of Sunday mornings in the allotment, they were very traditional in that my mum had her jobs, in the old days it was the woman’s work and my dad did the outside jobs” Anne said. “He’s very handy my dad, a master of all trades” she added.
Coventry couple Doris and Peter Johnson, 100 and 101, celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in March.
Pictured on their wedding day at St James’ Church Styvechale Coventry on March 27 1951 (Image: Family handout)
Peter, who turned 100 years old on April 9, worked across Coventry’s motor factories, including Rootes, Chrysler and Peugeot as an estimator. He also spent World War Two in Palestine and Egypt as an aeroplane fitter. “He didn’t talk much about it, he prepared aeroplanes when they came back from bombing raids, shot up or whatever, he would help repair them, that was his sort of role” David said.
Doris also worked first as a dinner lady, and then at the Gas Board (now British Gas) for most of her working life as a tracer in the drawing office. Despite working full time, the couple made sure they took their three daughters, Anne, Karen and Lynne on as many “outdoorsy” holidays as possible. “My dad was quite an outdoorsy person, so all our holidays were spent fishing on the side of the riverbank, and my mum enjoyed going fishing with him as well, they used to enjoy going walking” Anne said.
71 years of marriage is an outstanding achievement, how have they managed it? Anne replied: “I think they had similar interests with the gardening, walking, being out in the countryside, they also worked really hard [and] they’ve never argued, or squabbled.”
The couple celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary on March 27, and Peter’s 100th birthday on April 9.